She Makes it Look Easy - Marybeth Whalen

Ariel, her husband David, and their 3 boys are finally "movin' on up," to a nicer neighborhood.  She's sad to be leaving behind her neighbor friend, Kristy, but more excited to be moving into a beautiful house and eager to make new friends.  Justine, her husband Mark, and their two girls live in the house behind Ariel's new house - the house of Justine's best friend Laura, whom she's sad to see go.  Reluctant, at first, to befriend the new family, Justine eventually makes Ariel's acquaintance and takes her under her wing to introduce her to the "right" people in the neighborhood, and to teach her to get her life organized.  Ariel sees Justine as a mentor and friend, the perfect woman with the perfectly clean house and perfectly behaved children, someone she can only aspire to be as her boys burn their energy with dirt and noise.  As such, Ariel finds herself taking Justine's advice on everything, including who she should be friends with, and how she should spend her time.  The more that Ariel puts into the friendship, the more she starts to suspect that the friendship is lopsided, and perhaps Justine isn't interested in Ariel for the same type of friendship that Ariel is looking for.  If she's not spending time with Ariel for the friendship, what is she using Ariel for?  And is "using" Ariel what she's really after?

I'm not sure where to start with this review; the book was definitely well-written, I was sucked into the story of these vastly different women immediately.  However, when a character turns into someone you not only don't like, but who seems to have no hopes of redemption within the story, it takes a bit of life out of the story.  The only good that one could take from this story, then, is the side of the character who realizes that nothing is as it seems, and that even those who look like they're living perfect lives usually have problems beneath their bright smiles and perfect clothes.  With that in mind, it's easier to accept one's own shortcomings and faults as part of life.

While I felt the book was intriguing, it fell short for me on any redeeming story line.  There were a few hints of growth on Ariel's part, but the downfall of Justine was left hanging with no hope.  Even the prologue indicated that there may have been regret, but not remorse.  Also - the book never circled back to the prologue, leaving the reader to wonder what happened in the space between the book's closing and its opening - not leaving any pleasant options.

I give this book 3 stars.  It was a quick read, and I read most of it hoping the characters would realize the paths they were on and change them, but it just left me feeling incomplete.

You can find She Makes it Look Easy HERE.
You can find the author's site HERE.
(This does seem to be an earlier release from this author, and I have enjoyed other, later, publications more than this one)

I received this book from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Glittering Promises - by Lisa T. Bergren

Glittering Promises is the conclusion to Lisa T. Bergren's Grand Tour trilogy.  Cora and her siblings, along with the Morgans, the fathers, their guide, and bodyguards, are attempting to finish their tour of Europe, while also avoiding bad press and potential kidnappers.  Cora must decide once and for all if Will is the man for her, or if her new life would be better suited to a man like Pierre, with a title and money and an estate.  As if all of this weren't enough to handle for this group of young people, they will continue to face tragedy and dangers from both without and within.  How will they handle it?  Will it drive them apart or closer together?  Can Cora decide where her worth and identity come from?

In my reviews of both Grave Consequences, and Glamorous Illusions, I bemoaned the fact that Cora seemed caught up in her new world and enchanted by her pursuers, but that she couldn't look beyond those to do any real searching within her heart, faith, or life.  Finally, within this concluding novel, Cora is able to take some time apart after a family tragedy to find her identity in her true Father.  With this self-revelation comes clarity on her future, and how she can reconcile who she was with who she's become, into who she will be.  Not only did I enjoy Cora's personal journey more in this book, but I also enjoyed watching the personal relationships between the siblings change and grow.

Although I enjoyed this installment better than the second book (isn't that often the way with trilogies? Poor second novel.), I still found the theatrics and dangerous situations a bit over the top, and I'm not entirely sure that several of the scenarios were even partially realistic.  I give it 3.5 stars for bringing the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion, and for including more emotion and character development than was found in book 2.

You can find the book, including and excerpt, HERE.
You can find Lisa T. Bergren's site HERE. (In popping by, I was excited to see that there's a 4th River of Time novel coming out this year!)

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The Language of Sparrows - by Rachel Phifer

Sierra Wright is a brilliant 15-year-old girl living in a rough part of Houston.  Only, most folks look past her brilliance because she works so hard to hide it, not talking to others, not turning in homework assignments, and not making friends.  A chance walk through a neighborhood across the bayou brings her to Luca's house, a house bare of any touches to make it a home, yet with a library filled with books and a man filled with insight for those other than his son.  People are suspicious of why a 15-year-old girl would be spending time in an old man's house, and accusations are cast.  Yet, Sierra's mother, April, can't discount the fascination her brilliant, withdrawn daughter has for this man, and April finds herself caught up in his story, and that of his son, Nick, the teacher who recognized Sierra's brilliance and kept her from bottoming out.  Four people, equally broken, yet for very different reasons.  Can they find a way to expose their truths and heal each other?

I cannot say enough good things about this book.  The characters are so broken, yet so real.  Their need for truth is so apparent, yet their wounds keep them from being able to spill their own stories until they learn that they will not only heal themselves, but their loved ones through telling them.  And overall, the knowledge that God is truth, and that He is there, even in the pain, is so real it's heartbreaking.  No, God doesn't heal all wounds.  No, God isn't always there in the way you want Him to be.  But He IS there.

In addition to the writing and the characters, I loved all the small details in this book.  I loved Sierra's fascination with languages, and the way she saw art in words.  I loved that Luca found peace through cooking and that he was always offering food to those who made it past his door.  I loved Nick's care of his father, even though he had been so hurt by him.  I loved how they all came together and apart and together again throughout the book as they healed and hurt and grieved and loved.  Even the side characters in this book were well-done and lent weight to the story and the main characters without making the plot too busy.

I very rarely give 5 stars to fiction books, but this one has earned it.  It was well-written, well-paced, and steeped in truth and vulnerability.  I highly recommend it.

You can find The Language of Sparrows HERE for only $2.39 on e-book right now!
You can find the author's website HERE.  I hope to hear more from this author soon!

Please tell me if you read this book and if it affected you as deeply as it affected me!

I received a copy of this ebook from David C. Cook publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

Not by Sight - by Kathy Herman

Five years ago, Micah Cummings and his daughter Riley Jo disappeared without a trace, and leaving behind only questions.  Had Micah chosen Riley Jo over his other sons and daughter to run away with and start a new life?  Had they gotten lost in the woods that Micah knew like the back of his hands?  Or had something darker and more sinister happened to them?  The biggest question, of course, is: are they alive or not?  Abby, Riley Jo's now 16-year-old sister, holds onto faith that they are still alive.  She tells her family she has seen a little girl who looks just like Riley Jo would now, but her mother and older brother refuse to give in to the hope that Abby tries to bring them, writing it off just like the other times Abby has thought she saw her sister.  However, Abby won't let this one go, and when she begins to receive threatening phone calls telling her to stop looking for the girl, she feels the need to figure out what's going on, because even if this little girl isn't her sister, she may still be in danger.

The fears and what ifs in this book felt very real - what would I do if somebody I loved disappeared without reason?  Would I hold on to hope, contrary to what everyone around me was telling me?  Would I see their faces everywhere I turned?  It was so easy to see the story from both sides - Abby holding onto faith that God would bring her father and little sister back to her alive, and Kate - so afraid to hope, yet unable to truly grieve after so much time without answers.  Abby's journey of faith, as she encourages her little brother Jesse to believe, was captured so completely in her explanation to Jesse of why she loves the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "I love that story too.  What's also amazing is that they told the king they would trust God even if He didn't save them.  I'd love to have that kind of faith.  I don't yet."  The Christians in this book had to deal with real-world struggles - could they continue to believe even if it felt like God wasn't answering their prayers?

I give this book 3.5 stars.  It was well-written, and I could feel the characters' fears, hopes, and struggles.  It's the first in a series, and I look forward to following along with this family!

You can find Not by Sight HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

An Open Heart - by Harry Kraus, M.D.

Jace Rawlings has made a good life for himself in the United States as a cardiac surgeon, far away from his childhood as an MK - missionary kid - in Africa, and far from the God of his childhood.  And yet, due to extreme circumstances where Jace almost dies and believes his dead sister calls him to return to the place from their past, he doesn't hesitate.  Believing he's been sent by his sister, and perhaps by God Himself, Jace willingly returns to Africa to start a heart surgery program.  However, no matter how called he feels, the road isn't easy, and there seems to be much more at work than just the complicated politics of Kenya.  Can Jace let go of his past, find healing, and find the God who has chosen him?

This book was fast-paced, and a compelling read.  Jace struggles with deep loss and disappointment from his past, and has to decide whether he can trust the God he feels has forsaken him.  As the twin brother of a girl who loved God with her whole heart, Jace identifies with Esau and the Bible verse that says "Jacob have I loved. Esau have I hated."  That's a powerful image for him to get over, and his struggle to feel accepted by God is honest and heartwrenching.  His childhood as a missionary kid in a boarding school for missionary kids has turned him off to "Christianese," and that also feels very real in a world where people don't want to just hear big words that don't mean anything to them.   Additionally, Jace faces a spiritual battle that is very real to the world of Kenya, and the book even discusses how missionaries don't really talk about such things in the States, because nobody would believe it here.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars.  I liked it, it kept my interest, but I didn't love it.
I do enjoy the author's writing, and like how, for the most part, his inclusion of medical information enhances the story without confusing the reader.

You can find An Open Heart HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Grave Consequences - by Lisa T. Bergren

Grave Consequences is the second book in the Grand Tour series.  This installment picks up after the Kensingtons and Morgans have survived an apparent kidnapping attempt in Paris.  The group has decided to continue on their tour of Europe, along with their guides and added security.  Pierre plans to meet up with them, to continue his pursuit of Cora's heart.  Have they lost their kidnappers?  Can they trust their own traveling companions?  And can Cora's heart decides whom it wants - Will, the faithful, steady, "normal" man who fits her old life, or Pierre, the dashing, wealthy, powerful man who epitomizes her new life?  Which life does Cora even want for herself?

I have to say that I was disappointed in this sequel to Glamorous Illusions.  When I read the first book, I was able to enjoy the story with the caveat that I wanted more - I wanted Cora to search harder for what this new life adventure meant for her and her relationship with God.  If possible, this book had even less of that - it was really about Cora deciding which suitor she wanted to accept.  There was a little bit in there of how this Tour had changed her life and changed who she was, but it didn't seem to be for the better, except that it made her richer and made her lief easier.  Her continuous doubts over whether to choose Will or Pierre felt very shallow.  It took her maid, Anna, talking about how working for the Kensingtons changed her own life, for Cora to even really evaluate whether she could make something good of the changes that had been forced upon her. And as much as Will fell in love with Cora for her intelligence and lack of airs, it didn't take long for her to become at ease with the grand dresses and to become more interested in Will instead of the lessons and education he was presenting on the tour.

Overall, I did not enjoy this book, even as much as the first.  I can only give it 2 stars.  It felt drawn out, and even the descriptions of the cities and sites were languorous.  Too much shallow pursuit, and too little internal soul-searching or depth of relationship made this book a rough read.  I will probably still read book 3 to see how it finishes, and I will continue to read Ms. Bergren's other works, as I have found them to be much more enjoyable, but this one was not a favorite.

You can find Lisa T. Bergren's site HERE. (I adore her children's books, and her River of Time series was a really fun Young Adult set!)
You can purchase the book or read an excerpt HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Home Run - by Travis Thrasher

Cory Brand has been swinging a bat his whole life.  As a child, he swung to protect himself and his younger brother.  The practice garnered by necessity has exposed a talent that becomes a means to an escape.  But how does he escape the nightmares and the broken dreams unrelated to baseball that he has had to leave along the way?  Now that the baseball life is falling apart, where can he turn to heal the broken parts inside of him that baseball never really fixed?

I was unsure how to feel about this book.  The story of a childhood of abuse turning into the dream of a professional sports career was intriguing.  Yet, I had a hard time with Cory’s journey; because he seemed to not be able to look past himself to see the people he was hurting.  It rang true for a while, but his downward spiral seemed to continue too long without any hint of redemption.  I began to wonder whether there would be any change at all by the book’s end. 

I give this book 2 stars.  There was change in Cory’s life, but there was just so much damage and so little restoration that the story didn't balance out for me in the end. 

You can find the book HERE.

The author's website is HERE.

The book is "based on" this movie being released in April.  I think I'd be interested in seeing how this story translates to the big screen.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Glamorous Illusions - by Lisa Bergren

Cora Diehl knows who she is: the daughter of a hard-working farmer who has sacrificed so that she might improve her future with an education and teaching certificate.  At least, that's who she's been led to believe she is.  When her father falls ill, and the well-known copper king, Mr. Kensington, comes sweeping in to buy the farm, send her Papa for better health care, and plans to claim her as his own, albeit illegitimate, daughter, her world and everything she knows about herself gets turned upside down.  Her biological father plans to send her on a "Grand Tour" of Europe, with his three known heirs, in the common practice of the day for rich kids to see the world and find out how they fit into it.  Can Cora take this chance to find out she fits into this world she didn't know could be hers?  Will she lose Cora Diehl and become Cora Kensington, or is there another option she can't foresee?

Although this book was set in 1913, for the most part, it felt as if it could be a contemporary novel.  In a good way.  I didn't get lost wading through settings and traditions of the past, but was able to be swept up in Cora's dilemmas and emotions.  The Grand Tour, however, sounds like a fabulous tradition, and I can only wish that that were still common practice, leaving out the spoiled rich heirs and heiresses, of course.

Even though I enjoyed the story and Cora's revelations very much, there was something about it that kept me from loving it.  The abrupt ending was one; even though it is to be the first book in a series, there was no wrap-up whatsoever.  Maybe I wanted the book to be truly about Cora finding herself while seeing that her true identity lies in how God sees her, and less of it to be about the gentlemen pursuing her.  I can understand how she struggled with how her half-siblings related to her, and that was an honest part of her search for self, but it seemed odd that she'd had no love interests in her old life, and now she's suddenly surrounded by suitors.  Regardless, I still give the book 3 stars, and I will look forward to continuing the saga with the next installment.

You can find the author's website HERE. (Her children's books are fantastic, by the way!)
The publisher's site is HERE. (They list an e-book for free every week - join their list to get the notifications!)
You can buy a copy or read an excerpt HERE
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I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Two Crosses - by Elizabeth Musser

It is 1961, and Gabriella Madison has left her missionary family in Senegal to study in France.  She has no idea that the cross she wears is about to draw her into secret missions and a raging war.  It will also bring her healing and relationships that will shape her faith and her future.  The war between Algeria and France is being fought not just between those who want to see Algeria free and those who want to see it belong to France, but there are those who are using the war as cover for their own acts of revenge.  David Hoffman, Gabriella's professor, and Anne Marie Duchemin are allies working together to save innocent lives, and Gabby and Ophelie are caught somewhere in the middle, united by the Huguenot cross they both wear.

I admit that my knowledge of this portion of history including the Huguenots, Algeria, and France is minimal, making some of the facts and historical details confusing for me to follow at first.  However, the characters were so engaging, and the war so devastatingly brutal, that I was quickly invested in the story and transported to the period of time depicted.  So there's your warning if you do not enjoy either historical fiction or honest descriptions of the horror of war.  There are definitely scenes of heart-wrenching acts of brutality and murder that were difficult to read.  It certainly made me grateful for the religious freedom we've been granted, and opened my heart to pray for those who continue to be persecuted and murdered for their faith in God.

This is the first book in a trilogy, and I am looking forward to continuing to follow the story of these characters and their mission to assist those in desperate circumstances.  I give this book 4 stars.

You can buy the book HERE.
You can read an excerpt from the book HERE.
And you can find the author's website HERE.  (I've read several of her books, and have enjoyed them all!)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Too Far to Say Far Enough - Nancy Rue

Too Far to Say Far Enough is the concluding book in the Reluctant Prophets trilogy.  Allison Chamberlain is a prophet who gets Nudges from God about the work He wants her to do.  In this story, the Nudge she continues to get is "Go one more mile."  After traveling many literal miles, she begins to realize that maybe this job isn't about the physical distance, but the extra effort required to forgive and to heal broken relationships and to love her enemies.  Having officially adopted her son, and now taking in a runaway 14-year-old girl, Allison's life is filling up with just the day-to-day needs of caring for the people around her.  Add in the criminals trying to exact revenge on her for the work she's both done in the past and is doing now in her rescue work, and she has way too many "piles" to keep straight without help from God and the people He has put in her life to serve as her extended family as well as her extra hands and feet and hearts.

Allison is a compelling character.  Her compassion for broken women and children entrenched in street life is admirable and heartbreaking.  The people who have filled her life are real, they're dirty with real life, and they're working for a better one together.  They are healing, but it is taking time, and it's taking hard work.  They make you root for them, and they make you realize that there really is a dirty side to life that we all too often ignore.

This book made me wish I had started at the beginning of the trilogy.  The characters were so deep and their ties to each other so strong, that I really wish I had known the beginning of their story.  There were so many references to their past that affected the present story, that I felt pretty lost for a lot of the book.  Despite that, I was still able to invest in the characters and be drawn into the desperation they felt.  I was not expecting such a thriller/crime type aspect to this novel, and it certainly wasn't a simple conclusion to resolve the story.

When I first read the title of the book, I didn't get it.  Eventually, it turned out that once you've started doing the work God has called you to, you can never go "too far to say far enough," you need to complete the work He has given you.

Overall, I can only give this book 3 stars as a stand alone novel, but I definitely think if I had read the previous two books, it would have rated much higher as a conclusion to a compelling trilogy.  I will definitely be looking to read the other two, and possibly re-reading this one to get a sense of the complete journey of Allison and her circle of characters.

You can find Nancy Rue's website HERE.
Find the rest of the trilogy HERE.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A Heartbeat Away - by Harry Kraus

Tori Taylor is an accomplished surgical oncologist, at the top of her game and climbing the professional ladder.  Only two things stand in her way: a virus that has substantially weakened her heart, and the staff that she has belittled and criticized in her pursuit of perfection.  Now, that same staff is in charge of her own surgery and rehabilitation as she undergoes a heart transplant in the very hospital in which she has previously been untouchable.  Once the new heart is in place, Tori begins to change.  She has nightmares about things that aren't from her own memories, she cries more, and she has compassion for the people around her.  The new Tori wants to understand where these changes came from; whose heart was this before it became hers? Has the new heart changed her?  Or has God used the experience to change Tori?  As Tori seeks answers, she may find more than she bargained for, and not everyone is happy that she's searching.

This was a fantastically written book.  The suspense kept me guessing, but never with blind turns to throw me off course.  Information was revealed in a logical way, where I never felt that things were being intentionally hidden; instead, I learned things as the characters discovered them.  Even with three stories unfolding simultaneously, I was enthralled with every character in the book.  Each time the point of view shifted, I was eager to find out more about that aspect of the story, and I couldn't wait for them to all come together.  I know that the science vs. religion conflict is a big one in the medical community, and Tori's initial doubts and inner debates felt very real, as well as her eventual realization that even science requires faith.

A Heartbeat Away is one of the best books I've read recently, and I debated between giving it 4 stars or 5.  In the end I give it 4 stars, but it's probably closer to a 4.5.  I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a well-written suspense novel, or even to try it if you don't usually!

I have read several of Harry Krause, M.D.'s novels and have enjoyed all of them.  This is another author from whom I keep an eye out for new releases.  Reading the "Getting to know Harry" section at the book only made me appreciate him and his writing more.  I hope you'll try one of his books!

I received this book for free from David C. Cook publishers via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.